1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for improving the quality, in particular, elasticity and water holding property of fish meat. More particularly, it relates to a process for improving fish meat quality including elasticity and water holding property of fishes which have been ranked low in the raw materials for processed fishery foods to thereby utilize these fishes in the production of fishery foods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Because of recent restriction on fishing areas, it has been urgently required to utilize inshore small fishes and heretofore unused fishes.
However these fishes including hake, silver hake, sardine and bonito are ranked low in the raw materials for processed fishery foods and are disadvantageous from the economic viewpoint, since each of these fish posseses peculiar properties and shows significantly poor elasticity and water holding property, which are essential for the raw materials for processed fishery foods, when processed into fillets, minced meat or surimi (ground meat).
Therefore the present inventors have proposed an effective process for improving fish meat quality by using serum or plasma (cf. Japanese Patent Application No. 61-198543/8-25-1986) to thereby improve the quality, including elasticity and water holding property of fish meat, which has been ranked low in the raw materials for processed fishery foods. Thus the inventors have succeeded in the preparation of an excellent gel from a fish which has never been utilized so far. However it is further required to improve the quality of the gel in order to obtain a product of a high commercial value.